Glossary

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ADA Title II(also: Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act)

The section of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that prohibits discrimination based on disability by public entities, including all state and local governments and their departments, agencies, and instrumentalities. Title II requires that people with disabilities have…

ADA Transition Plan(also: ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan, Accessibility Transition Plan)

A document required under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that outlines how a public entity will make its programs, services, activities, and facilities accessible to people with disabilities. The plan must include an inventory of accessibility barriers, a…

AI Accountability(also: Algorithmic Accountability, AI Governance)

The principle that developers, deployers, and operators of AI systems should be held responsible for the outcomes those systems produce, including negative effects on marginalized populations such as people with disabilities. AI accountability encompasses transparency about how…

Academic Accommodations(also: Educational Accommodations, Disability Accommodations)

Modifications to academic requirements, environments, or procedures provided to students with disabilities to ensure equal access to education. Common accommodations include extended test time, note-taking services, priority seating, alternative format materials, and reduced…

Accessibility on the Move(also: Mobile Accessibility, Accessibility in Transit)

A conceptual framing that recognizes accessibility as a continuous, context-dependent process that must be renegotiated when a person moves between different physical, cultural, social, and technical infrastructures. Unlike static accessibility assessments tied to a single…

Accessible Public Procurement(also: Accessible Procurement, ICT Procurement)

The practice of requiring accessibility standards to be met when government authorities purchase goods, services, and works using public money. Because governments are often the largest buyers in a market, accessible procurement policies have significant power to drive…

Accessible Relocation(also: Accessible Migration)

The process of moving to a new city or country while maintaining or re-establishing access to disability-related services, accommodations, and support networks. Accessible relocation involves challenges at every phase: researching accessibility conditions of the destination…

Accommodation(also: Reasonable Accommodation, Academic Accommodation, Disability Accommodation)

A modification, adjustment, or support provided to enable a person with a disability to participate equally in education, employment, or public services. In the United States, accommodations are mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the…

Assistive use exception(also: Assistive use legal exception, Assistive purpose exception)

A proposed legal framework that would permit the use of always-on sensing technologies (such as wearable cameras or microphones) for assistive purposes in contexts where recording is otherwise prohibited, analogous to how service animals are allowed in no-pet spaces under the…

Barrier-Free Housing(also: Accessible Housing, Barrierefrei)

Housing designed or modified to be usable by people with disabilities, typically addressing physical access features such as step-free entry, wide doorways, accessible bathrooms, and adjustable fixtures. In practice, barrier-free housing standards and filters on…

CARE Principles(also: CARE, Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics)

A set of people-and-purpose-oriented principles for Indigenous data governance developed by the Global Indigenous Data Alliance — Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics — designed to complement the more technical FAIR principles (Findable,…

CRPD(also: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD)

An international human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2006 and entered into force in 2008. The CRPD is the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century focused on disability rights, ratified by 185 UN member states. It affirms that…

Community Care(also: Community-Based Care, Care in the Community)

A policy and practice model in which health and social care services are provided to disabled and elderly people in their own homes or local communities rather than in residential institutions. Community care aims to promote independence, choice, and social inclusion, but can…

Data Protection(also: Data Privacy)

The practices, policies, and legal frameworks governing how personal information is collected, stored, processed, and shared by organizations. For assistive technology companies, data protection is especially critical because their products often collect intimate details about…

Data Sovereignty

The principle that data about a community — its people, territories, practices, or bodies — should be subject to the laws, governance, and collective authority of that community rather than of the outside entities that happen to collect or host it. The concept originated in…

Deinstitutionalisation(also: Deinstitutionalization)

The process of transitioning people with disabilities — particularly intellectual disabilities and mental health conditions — from large, segregated residential institutions into community-based living arrangements with appropriate support services. Beginning in Scandinavian…

Deinstitutionalization

The process of transitioning disabled people from large, segregated residential institutions to community-based living settings, along with the development of community support services. In the United States, deinstitutionalization gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s driven…

Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation(also: DARE Index, DARE)

An index developed by the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) that measures and benchmarks the digital accessibility rights and policies of countries worldwide. The DARE Index evaluates country-level commitments to digital…

Disability Rights(also: Disability Justice, Disability Advocacy)

The movement and legal framework advocating for equal rights, opportunities, and full participation of people with disabilities in society. Key legislation includes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD),…

Disability Rights in the Global South(also: Southern Disability Rights, Disability Justice Global South)

The movement and body of scholarship focused on the rights, inclusion, and empowerment of people with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries, where disability intersects with poverty, limited healthcare access, cultural stigma, and inadequate legal protections. While…

E-Government Accessibility(also: Digital Government Accessibility, E-Gov Accessibility)

The practice of ensuring that electronic government services — including websites, online forms, and digital public services — are usable by people with disabilities. E-government accessibility is particularly important because government services are often essential and…

EN 301 549(also: European accessibility standard)

The European standard for accessibility requirements of ICT products and services, harmonized under the European Accessibility Act. EN 301 549 covers web content, software, hardware, and documentation, incorporating WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web and non-web documents while adding…

European Accessibility Act(also: EAA, Directive 2019/882)

A European Union directive adopted in 2019 that establishes common accessibility requirements for key products and services across EU member states. The EAA covers computers, smartphones, ATMs, e-commerce, banking services, e-books, and electronic communications, among others.…

GDPR(also: General Data Protection Regulation)

A comprehensive data privacy regulation enacted by the European Union in 2018 that governs how organizations collect, store, process, and share personal data of EU residents. GDPR establishes key principles including consent (users must actively agree to data collection), the…

Gaokao(also: National College Entrance Examination)

The national college entrance examination in mainland China, taken annually by high school students to determine admission to Chinese universities. Since 2017, the Chinese Ministry of Education has formally permitted reasonable accommodations for disabled students on the gaokao,…

Higher Education Accessibility(also: University Accessibility, Postsecondary Accessibility)

The policies, practices, accommodations, and technologies that ensure students with disabilities can participate fully and equitably in college and university programs. Higher education accessibility encompasses physical campus access, digital content accessibility, classroom…

Inclusive Procurement(also: Accessible Procurement)

The practice of embedding accessibility requirements into purchasing and contracting processes for products and services, particularly ICT systems. Inclusive procurement ensures that organizations evaluate vendors on their ability to meet accessibility standards such as EN 301…

Indigenous Data Sovereignty(also: IDS, Tribal Data Sovereignty)

The right of Indigenous peoples to govern the collection, ownership, and application of data about their communities, lands, and resources. Rooted in inherent rights of self-governance, Indigenous data sovereignty ensures that research involving Indigenous populations respects…

Institutionalization

The historical and ongoing practice of placing disabled people in segregated residential facilities such as asylums, nursing homes, and other care institutions, often without their consent. Institutionalization became the default approach to disability in the United States in…

Internet Health(also: Web Health)

A concept describing the overall state of the internet as a public resource, encompassing factors such as accessibility, privacy, security, openness, and digital inclusion. In the context of web accessibility, Internet Health refers specifically to how well the web serves people…

Job Accommodation Network(also: JAN)

A free service funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy that provides guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. JAN offers one-on-one consultation to employers, employees, and service providers on practical…

Labour Force Participation(also: Workforce Participation, Employment Participation Rate)

The proportion of a population that is either employed or actively seeking employment. In accessibility contexts, labour force participation rates reveal significant disparities: in Norway, for example, only 40.6% of people with disabilities were employed in 2020 compared to…

Low and Middle Income Countries(also: LMICs, Developing Countries, Global South)

A World Bank classification for countries with gross national income per capita below a defined threshold, encompassing low income and lower-middle income economies. In accessibility contexts, LMICs present distinct challenges including limited investment in accessible…

Low- and Middle-Income Countries(also: LMIC, LMICs, developing countries)

Countries classified by the World Bank as having lower gross national income per capita, typically facing greater resource constraints in healthcare, education, and technology infrastructure. In accessibility contexts, LMICs present unique challenges including limited…

Mandated Reporter(also: Mandatory Reporter)

A person who is legally required to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable individuals — including people with disabilities, older adults, and children — to the appropriate authorities such as Adult Protective Services or child protective agencies.…

NDIS(also: National Disability Insurance Scheme)

Australia's national scheme for funding disability support services, established in 2013. The NDIS provides individualized funding packages to eligible Australians with permanent and significant disabilities, allowing them to choose and pay for support services that help them…

NIDILRR(also: NIDRR, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research)

A U.S. federal agency within the Administration for Community Living that funds disability and rehabilitation research, including accessible technology development. Originally named NIDRR (National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research), it was renamed NIDILRR in…

National Transition Strategy (NTS)(also: NTS, Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy)

The Australian Government's National Transition Strategy was a formal policy established in June 2010 requiring all federal, state, and territory government websites to conform to WCAG 2.0. It set staged milestones — Level A conformance by December 2012 and Level AA by December…

OCAP Principles(also: OCAP, Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession)

A set of principles developed by the First Nations Information Governance Centre establishing that First Nations communities must own, control, access, and possess data and information about themselves — their people, territories, resources, and cultural knowledge. OCAP emerged…

Olmstead Decision(also: Olmstead v. L.C.)

A landmark 1999 United States Supreme Court ruling that held requiring disabled people to live in institutional settings when they could live in the community constitutes unlawful discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The decision mandated that states provide…

Open Data(also: Open Government Data, Public Data)

Data that is published and made freely available to everyone without copyright or patent restrictions, following the premise that transparency enables public accountability and innovation. In accessibility, open data initiatives publish information about the accessibility of…

Outcome-Based Education(also: OBE, Standards-Based Education)

An educational approach that focuses on measuring student achievement through specific, predetermined outcomes or competencies rather than on the process of learning itself. In disability and special education contexts, outcome-based education can be controversial because it…

Safeguarding(also: Abuse Prevention, Protection from Abuse)

The set of policies, practices, and measures designed to protect vulnerable individuals — including people with disabilities, children, and older adults — from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Safeguarding encompasses prevention through education and training, detection of…

Special Educational Needs(also: SEN, Special Needs Education, Special Education)

An educational framework referring to children who experience difficulties in learning that require additional or different educational provision. SEN encompasses a broad range of conditions including cognitive disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, emotional…

Supported Decision-Making(also: SDM)

A legal and practical alternative to guardianship in which a person with a cognitive or developmental disability retains decision-making authority over their own life while receiving support from trusted people — family, friends, advocates — who help them understand options,…

Sustainable Development Goals(also: SDGs, Global Goals)

A collection of 17 interlinked global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity by 2030. Several SDGs are directly relevant to disability inclusion: SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth, promoting…

Sustainable Mobility(also: Sustainable Transportation, Green Mobility)

Transportation systems and practices that meet current mobility needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, emphasizing reduced environmental impact, energy efficiency, and equitable access. In accessibility contexts, sustainable mobility…

Telecommunication equity(also: Communication equity, Functional equivalence)

The principle that people with disabilities should have access to telecommunications services that are functionally equivalent to those available to people without disabilities. For deaf users, this means video calling capabilities (for sign language) should be treated as…

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities(also: UN CRPD, CRPD, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)

An international human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations in 2006 and entered into force in 2008, establishing the rights of people with disabilities to full participation in society. The CRPD is particularly significant for digital accessibility through Article 9…

UNCRPD(also: United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD)

An international human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2006 that articulates the rights of people with disabilities across all areas of life, including employment, education, health, and participation in society. The UNCRPD represents a paradigm…